The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • B2

B2 The Pantagraph Friday, February 28, 2014 www.p antagraph.com Prep Report Pantagraph staff Normal Community High School broke away from a six-point halftime lead and cruised to a 62-42 victory over Decatur MacArthur in a Big 12 Conference make-up basketball game Thursday night at Decatur. Zach Thompson paced the Ironmen (19-8, 10-5 Big 12) with 15 points, while Alex Peacock added 12 and Duane Farrington 10. was our last trip to MacArthur in the Big 12, and this has not been an easy place to get a said NCHS coach Dave Witzig. did a great job on (Marcus) Bartley and he himself had a season Bartley, a 6-foot-4 Saint Louis recruit, scored only eight points. Dallas McClain paced the Generals (14-10, 8-8) with 11 points.

NCHS led 25-19 at halftime before outscoring the Generals, 15-6, in the third quarter to open a 15-point lead. The Ironmen shot 57.5 percent from the field (23 of 40), making 7-of-12 3-point attempts. Grant Donath had four of 21 assists. were able to get the shots we wanted on the offensive end and then we were able to get set on the defensive said Witzig. Tyler Seibring added seven points and a team- high six rebounds for the Ironmen, who travel to face Champaign Central on Friday.

CLASS 1A REGIONAL Dwight 69, St. Francis de Sales 56: Triston Dirck scored 15 points and Caleb Boma added 14 as No. 2-seeded Dwight downed Chicago St. Francis de Sales in a Class 1A Gardner Regional semifinal game. The Trojans took a 16-6 lead after the first quarter and were never headed.

Dwight, which shot 58.8 percent from the field (20 of 34), advanced to 7 p.m. championship game against No. 1-seeded St. Anne. GIRLS Varner in 3-Point finals: Fisher senior Hannah Varner sank eight shots in preliminaries to advance to Class 1A Finals in the Three-Point Showdown at Redbird Arena.

Also moving into the finals, which begin about 1:45 p.m., were Ayshia itchell of Galatia (8), Sydney McClintock of Illini Bluffs (7) and Amanda Cheek of Ullin Century (8). Iroquois Elena Sanchez also made seven shots, but was eliminated in an extra session. Other area competitors were Jamison Brandt of Blue Ridge (6), Haley Hoekstra of Flanagan-Cornell (5) and Paige Jones of Ridgeview (4). No area competitors advanced to the Class 2A Finals. Haley Ruest man of Fieldcrest sank nine shots, which missed by one.

Maddie Merritt of Tri-Valley (7) and Molly McGraw of Central Catholic (5) also participated. Those advancing to the finals at 8:15 p.m. Friday were Tyra Buss of Mount Carmel (13), Corrie Reiley of Prophetstown (12), Devin Curry of Watseka (11) and Afton Nelson of Greenville (10). Randy Sharer BLOOMINGTON Wrestling programs such as those at Bloomington and LeRoy high schools are among the reasons never ha become a T-shirt slogan staple. The strength of those programs will be in evidence at Dual Team State Tournament at U.S.

Cellular Coliseum, where LeRoy will make its fourth consecutive appearance and Bloomington its third. The Purple Raiders (162), ranked fifth in Class 2A, open at 9 a.m. against No. 20 Cahokia (13-5). The winner advances to a 2 p.m.

semifinal to face No. 1 Lombard Montini (15-3) or No. 6 Washington (12-10). If the rankings hold up, BHS would battle No. 3 Oak Forest (21-1) for third at 6 p.m.

Saturday. In the Class 1A quarterfinals, No. 14 LeRoy (15-4) fac es No. 8 Sherrard (30-1) at 11 a.m. with the winner meeting No.

4 Petersburg Porta (30-3) or Peotone (126-2) in a 2 p.m. semifinal. five seniors were part of a third-place team as freshmen and a championship squad as sophomores. is definitely on our said LeRoy coach Doug DeWald. know what to BHS vs.

Cahokia: Bloomington, which finished a school-best third in 2012, is making its fourth state trip since 2005. It boasts five individual state qualifiers and four medalists led by 195-pound third-placer Austin Weltha (39-5). Other BHS medalists are fifth-placer Devante Gray (40-6 at 106) and sixth- placers Shawn Safford (38-13 at 160) and Jack Henderson (43-6 at 113). Rounding out the state qualifiers is Steven Bradford (35-12 at 132). Cahokia also has five state qualifiers in Marlon Manuel (25-9 at 113), Dameon Adams (31-6 at 120), Deairis Tipler (27-9 at 132), Derrell Hinkle (29-9 at 160) and Christopher Brown (14-7 at 285).

The lone placer was Adams in fifth. are a lot like said BHS coach Mark Gardner. got some really good kids and some holes just like us so it will be an interesting directive to the Raiders is fight six minutes of fighting never give up. the whole thing got to get in BHS is coming off a 42-28 win over No. 17 Taylorville.

were able to make some things work that been working on and that helped us a Gardner said. think we outmatched them at the first four weights and that kind of got the momentum going a little bit and the kids got on a Cahokia earned its fifth state berth and first since 1991 because No. 8 Springfield had to forfeit in the sectional due to skin problems. LeRoy vs. Sherrard: LeRoy has six individual state qualifiers compared to three for Sherrard, which is making its dual team state debut.

think bonus points are going to be a pretty big key going both ways whether we give them up or get said DeWald, who believes each team is favored in five bouts while the four remaining bouts are tossups. LeRoy is led by state sixth-placers Alex Matlock (30-11 at 113) and Caleb Wilson (31-8 at 170). Other state qualifiers are Trevor Bulington (17-5 at 106), Tyler Walsh (30-7 at 126), Lane Lindstrom (30-10 at 195) and Ty Sandy (31-5 at 220). The Tigers are led by state third-placer Ben Corlett (47-4 at 285). Teammate Chance Teel (46-6 at 126) placed sixth.

Also qualifying was Jacob Hast (39-10 at 120). Sherrard and LeRoy have several common opponents such as GCMSF, which lost to Sherrard by scores of 43-25 and 51-19, but edged LeRoy, 34-33. DeWald hopes his Panthers bounce back from a lackluster individual state tournament. the individual portion of the year means a lot to he said. I think established a team mentality here where the team is just as important as the Wre tling BHS, LeRoy wrestlers state dual meet regulars JIM BOWLING For The Pantagraph Caleb Wilson, right, looks to help LeRoy High No.

14-ranked wrestling team upset No. 8 Sherrard in Class 2A dual team state tournament quarterfinals at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. Prep primer Dual Team State Wrestling Tournament Where: U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington When: Saturday.

Quarterfinals, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.; emifinals, 2 third-place and finals, 6 Class 1A pairings: No. 13 Roxana (16-16) vs. No. 2 Plano (29-7-1), 9 a.m.; No 3 Vandalia (25-5) vs.

No. 1 Dakota (22-4), 9 a.m.; No. 14 LeRoy (15-4) vs. No. 8 Sherrard (30-1), 11 a.m.; eotone (12-6-2) vs.

No. 4 Petersburg Porta (30-3), 11 a.m. Clas 2A pairings: No. 20 Cahokia (13-5) vs. No.

5 Bloomington (16-2) 9 a.m.; No 1 Lombard Montini (15-3) vs. No. 6 Washington (12-10), 9 a.m.; No 2 Geneseo (19-1) vs. No. 14 Chicago Simeon (19-0), 11 a.m.; No 3 Oak Forest (22-1) vs.

No. 10 Harvard (22-5), 11 a.m. Clas 3A pairings: No. 18 Plainfield Central (15-6) vs. No.

3 Aurora Marmion (13-3), 9 a.m.; No 2 Chicago Marist (23-5) vs. No. 7 New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central (20-3), 9 a.m.; No 1 Oak Park- River Forest (26-1) vs. No. 16 Hoffman Estates Conant (19-2), 11 a.m.; No 10 Libertyville (21-2) vs.

No. 4 Rockton Hononegah (26-3), 11 a.m. FYI: Four-time state champion Josh Alber of Class 1A Dakota could end his career Saturday as the only unbeaten wrestler in IHSA history. His 176-0 record includes a 45-0 mark this year at 132, 50-0 at 120 as a junior, 44-0 at 120 as a sophomore and 37-0 at 103 as a freshman. Randy Sharer PANTAGRAPH STAFF El Paso-Gridley High School senior Rebekah Ehresman and Cissna Park sophomore Addison Stoller were second-team selections on the Associated Press girls all-state basketball teams released Thursday.

Ehresman earned second- team honors in Class 2A for the second year in a row. She led the Titans to a 25-4 record and a berth in the Monmouth Super-Sectional this season. An Illinois Wesleyan recruit, Ehresman was among 12 finalists for the High School Heisman Award in December. Central Catholic senior Molly McGraw, who will join Ehresman at IWU, earned honorable mention in 2A. Stoller was a second- team choice in Class 1A.

She led the Timberwolves to the Illinois Wesleyan Super-Sectional, where they were defeated by top- ranked Annawan. The 2A first team included unanimous pick Tyra Buss of Mount Carmel, Devin Curry of Watseka, Samantha Lambrigtsen of Oregon, Madeline Hartke of Teutopolis and ori McCoy of Champaign St. Thomas More. The 1A first team was led by unanimous selection Celina VanHyfte of Anna wan. She was joined by Morgan Atherton of Century, Ryan Dooley of Central Lexis Macomber of Lanark Eastland and Ashley Schneider of Nokomis.

Ehresman, Stoller earn 2nd-team all-state PANTAGRAPH STAFF El Paso-Gridley High School seniors Rebekah Ehresman and Codee Schlipf and Tri-Valley junior Maddie Merritt were unanimous selections on the Heart of Illinois gir ls basketball all-conference team released Thursday. Ehresman was a unanimous pick for the third straight year and Merritt for the second year in a row. Schlipf made the first team for the fourth consecutive year. Also on the first team was Fieldcrest senior Haley Ruestman, who became the No. 1 career scorer (boys or girls) this season.

She was joined by Tremont junior Jillian Runyon, Fieldcrest junior Tessa Holland and Lexington sophomore Gabby Freed. The all-defensive team included Ehresman, Runyon, Fisher senior Caitlin Cole, Flanagan-Cornell- Woodland senior Emily Russow and LeRoy sophomore Courtney Monier. Three unanimous picks for all-HOIC girls PANTAGRAPH STAFF The lone repeat selection on the All-Big 12 Co nference girls basketball team, Normal West High Tia Robertson has been named the le player of the year. Joining the University of Missouri-St. Louis recruit on the 13-player first team were teammates Keely Theobald and Abby Thompson, both juniors, and Normal Community senior Abby Kreuser.

Big 12 tabs Robertson as top player NCHS cruises to victory in Big 12 CH 62, MacArthur 42 Winge scored 14 points and Hall 13 for the Redbirds, who shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half and 42.6 percent overall. Bradley registered the final surge in a first half ripe with runs. ISU turned an 8-7 deficit into a 15-8 lead only to watch the Braves score the next 10 points. The Redbirds then reeled off eight straight points for a 23-18 lead. But ISU scored a single point over the final 6:42 and missed its final nine shots as Bradley seized a 33-24 advantage entering halftime.

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